26 APR 2024 · In April 2024, I embarked on an unforgettable journey to California, starting with a visit to Skywalker Ranch, Lucasfilm and Rancho Obi Wan. And unfogettable three days. While at Skywalker Ranch I met with Sound Supervisor, Mac Smith and legendary Model Maker, Lorne Peterson. This episode is a report from those three days. https://filmumentaries.com https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=AUKL6Y869RU8C https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LddLD4DDLAQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baS2LiJDgoI

9 APR 2024 · For this the 100th episode it seems fitting that it’s someone who’s name I’ve known since I was 4, 5 and 6 when my imagination was first sparked, looking through my Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi comics and magazines. That name is of course Phil Tippett, one of those incredible artists whose work transcends the films he’s worked on. His work is always full of a singularly tactile, grunginess that I love. Whether it’s the chess pieces in Star Wars, the Tauntauns or Walkers on Empire, the Rancor in Jedi, the Dinosaurs in Jurassic Park or the bugs in Starship Troopers, Phil’s work is always imbued with such great design and character. I’ve been an admirer of his work as I said, for decades now. And I was given the opportunity to speak with him in February of this year, 2024. I knew immediately I should save that conversation for my first milestone of 100 episodes. Thanks to everyone for their support since I've been making this podcast. It means the world to me. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=AUKL6Y869RU8C https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries https://2024tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/mike-hewitt-brown?fbclid=IwAR1XYTk1fnpla7sx5NwGrtNEY2KChR1l7uRsvL1JD3cMAQ706M9GUgbEA_A_aem_AcehcrMTf-RwZPX43WLIUXCmB7CsLlOHphzoKzwFtMLRzmZqkuPFz97stMfMYXAfjSApxT336_STvxxgZkzN38fZ

25 MAR 2024 · For episode 99 I interviewed friend, David Whiteley. If you don't know David, you should! He's a news presenter, but also a huge Star Wars Fan. And, has made two fantastic documentaries about the subject. Firstly "The Galaxy that Britain Built" and secondly "Toy Empire". Both are a must-watch for fans like us. David also produced a book which gathers together the interviews his conducted for "The Galaxy that Britain Built". It's available on Amazon https://amzn.to/3TNL61U. Check it out! And then BUY IT! Talking of books, don't forget that Justin Berger and I have now pre-released our https://amzn.to/3TNL61U book as an ebook on Amazon. https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=AUKL6Y869RU8C https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries

12 MAR 2024 · For episode 98, I am joined by my guest from episode 2, Giles Terera, actor, writer, musician and great friend of mine. He suggested to me a few months back that we should do a commentary on The Empire Strikes Back. So last month that's just what we did. I went up to central London to his flat, armed with two mics and we sat at watched and waffled over our favourite film. I hope you enjoy the episode. If you want to watch along, hit play on the movie just as the intro music (after my spoken introduction) ends. Or just listen to the episode for some chat and fun insights. I reckon we'll do a Return of the Jedi commentary at some point. Particularly because Giles has worked with several of the British actors in that movie. Enjoy! https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=AUKL6Y869RU8C https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries

26 FEB 2024 · In episode 97 of the Filmumentaries podcast, I interview helicopter stunt pilot Fred North. Fred shares his journey from a childhood fascination with helicopters to becoming a successful stunt pilot in Hollywood. He emphasizes the importance of creating opportunities for oneself and having a shark-like drive to keep moving forward. Fred also discusses the art of flying a helicopter and the importance of connecting with the machine. He shares insights on working with directors and understanding their vision to offer creative solutions. Takeaways - Creating opportunities and having a drive to succeed are key to achieving success. - Connecting with the machine and understanding its nuances is crucial in flying a helicopter. - Understanding the director's vision and offering creative solutions can make a helicopter pilot invaluable in the film industry. - Embracing mistakes and learning from them is essential for personal and professional growth. Chapters00:00 Introduction and Patreon Support 03:35 First Encounter with Helicopter 06:27 From Childhood Fascination to Becoming a Stunt Pilot 08:20 Shark-Like Drive and Embracing New Opportunities 10:42 Dealing with Mistakes and Learning from Them 12:30 The Importance of Having an Open Mind and Connecting with People 14:24 Writing the Book to Share His Journey 25:08 The Role of Instinct and Connection in Flying 28:21 Finding a Way into the Film Industry 35:25 Understanding the Director's Vision and Offering Creative Solutions 41:06 QR Codes in the Book and Making it Entertaining 42:18 Closing Remarks and Future Episodes https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries

17 FEB 2024 · I hope you enjoyed my archival interview episodes in December 2023, one with Producer Robert Watts, the other with actor Garrick Hagon. Well now we are back to some recent interviews, I can tell you I’ve been busy lining these up ready for 2024! So… for the first, its a pretty big one, well it’s a very big one - Thanks to the lovely folks at ILM, I was given the chance to interview director Gareth Edwards and his FX crew on The Creator. I’d be trying to get Gareth on via a mutual friend of ours but given Gareth is currently doing press about the nominations the film has received, so it was perfect timing. So you’ll hear my conversion with Gareth along with VFX supervisors Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Charmain Chan, Andrew Roberts and Jay Cooper as well as SFX supervisor Neil Corbould. There is an exclusive video version of the podcast on the filmumentaries youtube channel so that you can see all of us talking while I paint the interviews with some of the VFX breakdown clips ILM kindly provided. So if you can, head over to youtube to check that out. So, we talk about: - Gareth’s unique shooting techniques that enable large scope on a relatively low budget. And also the now famous use of the pro-sumer camera. - How the collaboration between the on-set crew and VFX teams is crucial for achieving seamless integration of practical and digital elements. - How anchoring VFX work to practical elements in the frame enhances the realism and believability of the visual effects. - How real-world locations can provide inspiration and add authenticity to the film's design and visual effects. - How the future of filmmaking with VFX lies in finding innovative ways to combine practical and digital techniques and finding the best tools to make the pipeline more efficient. - We finish by talking about award recognition and what it means to them. https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries

23 JAN 2024 · Ok, this is another one from the archives, but as with the Robert Watts recording, I’ve been wanting to put this one out in podcast form for a while too. This is a conversation I had with actor Garrick Hagon back in 2015. If that name doesn’t ring a bell, how about Biggs Darklighter. Yes, Garrick is well known for his mostly deleted scenes from Star Wars in which he plays Luke’s best pal. I’d met Garrick in the green room at a Star Wars Trilogy day at the BFI southbank earlier that year. I’d been invited there by my old mate Toby Phlipott, Jabba puppeteer and all round good guy. Garrick and I got chatting about how I’d done an interview with Toby and created what turned out to be a very popular video from it. So I suggested we do the same. In fact both of those videos are still on my vimeo channel. So I’ll also link to that in the show notes. As with all interviews, when making a video you often cut out certain bits that you don’t need. But with a podcast you can make it more long form. So that’s what I’ve done here. The interview was done over the phone, so it won’t sound as good as some of my more recent episodes. But it’s still definitely very listenable. https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries

16 JAN 2024 · This is one from the archives, but I’ve been wanting to put this out in podcast for for some time now. Its my interview with the legendary producer Robert Watts from back in July 2018. My cameraman buddy Paddy and I visited Robert at his home, and a lovely home it was too. He was on such great form and just a delight to be with. We arrived armed with some F1 signed caps from Hamilton and Vettel because a little birdy had told us he was a motorsport fan. And he was absolutely delighted. That little birdy was actually David Whitely, who is going to be a guest on this very podcast in the coming weeks. It wasn’t of course ever intended to be a podcast, so you’ll hear my questions slightly off mic, but of course this is all about Robert and his work on 2001, Thunderball, Star Wars, Raiders, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi etc, so I'm sure you can forgive some audio irregularities. As the recording starts, Robert and I are talking about Stuart Freeborn and his creation of Yoda. You’ll also hear friend of the podcast Paddy Tyndall ask the occasional question. I hope you enjoy it. https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries

29 DEC 2023 · Uncover the secrets of Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1's breathtaking visual effects. VFX supervisors Jeffrey Sutherland and Simone Coco share insights on collaboration, challenges, and the art of crafting cinematic magic. Step behind the scenes and explore the dynamic world where reality meets creativity. I was recently given the opportunity, by the folks at ILM, to talk to two VFX supervisors that worked on Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1. Namely Jeff Sutherland and Simone Coco. So as you might imagine I jumped at the chance and within 24 hours we were chatting. In this conversation we discuss their work on Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning Part 1 and the unique challenges they face. They talk about the impact of practical elements on their VFX work, the importance of creating scale and believability, and the balance between realism and creativity. We also discuss the collaboration with stunt teams, the adaptation to new camera technology, and the always evolving role of VFX in filmmaking. They share their experiences in finding creative solutions and maintaining freshness and objectivity. Just so that you know who is who, Jeffrey is the first to speak after me, and Simone is the one with the Italian accent. https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries

18 DEC 2023 · Now, for this exciting episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Tom Spina. Tom is an avid Star Wars enthusiast, restoration specialist, and the founder of Tom Spina Designs and Regal Robot. In our conversation, we delve into his early love for Star Wars and those toys, his passion for computer graphics on his Amiga, his brief stint as a TD in live TV, and his current work in restoring historical movie props. We also touch on his Star Wars Celebration panel, his interactions with the film saga's crew, props, and monsters. It's a fascinating insight into his creative process, and I hope you enjoy our conversation. https://linktr.ee/filmumentaries